Hanover pitching powers softball to Westminster sweep

Hanover Roundup

SWEET SWEEP: Hanover’s Victoria Wilson (above, 16) congratulates Paige Starling (24) after the freshman from Mooresville delivered the game-winning RBI in the seventh inning of a 2-1 softball win over Westminster College on Friday in Hanover. Panthers starting pitcher Christina Davidson (below) tossed a seven hitter to earn her first win of the season. (Staff photos by Mark Campbell)

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Hanover College's pitchers twirled a pair of gems and the Panthers' bats delivered when needed in a softball sweep of Westminster (Mo.) College on Friday at the L.S. Ayres Athletic Complex.

Hanover plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 2-1 win in game one and then blanked the Blue Jays 7-0 in the nightcap to sweep the non-conference doubleheader and improve to 3-9 on the season.

Allison Arnold, a freshman from Fort Wayne, blooped a pinch-hit single up the middle with one out in the seventh to start the winning rally in the opener. Chelsie Nuhring, a sophomore right fielder from Lynnville, followed with a RBI double down the right field line to push Arnold's tying run across the plate and then advanced to third on the throw home.

Paige Starling, a freshman centerfielder from Mooresville, then slapped a grounder to the left side of the infield and the sliding Nuhring dislodged the throw home to score the game-winner.

Christina Davidson, a sophomore right-hander from Cincinnati, allowed just one run on seven hits while posting her first win of the season in five decisions. Davidson walked one and struck out three.

Danielle Merrick, a sophomore shortstop from Eminence, had a third of the Panthers' hits on a pair of singles.

Leah Kemmerer, a sophomore from North Vernon, struck out nine while twirling a two-hitter for her first collegiate shutout in the 7-0 game two win.

Kemmerer (2-2) pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning and allowed just one runner in scoring position over the other six innings.

Hanover scored a run each in the second, third and fourth innings before seizing control of the game with a four-run fifth inning.

Merrick collected four of Hanover's nine hits, including a pair of doubles. She also scored a run and knocked in one run in the fourth.

Kemmerer had two hits and one RBI while Lyndsea Burke, a freshman leftfielder from Modoc, delivered two RBI and Arnold and Nuhring each scored a pair of runs.

Westminster dropped to 1-3 on the season with the losses.

Hanover is scheduled to visit Spalding University on March 28 in Louisville.

Baseball drops HCAC opener

Hanover College's baseball team opened its 2013 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference schedule with a 3-2 10 inning loss to Defiance (Ohio) College on Friday at the L.S. Ayres Athletic Complex.

Hanover had built a 2-0 lead through six innings before Defiance, playing as the home team in the series, rallied with a run in the seventh and another in the bottom of the ninth knot the game 2-2.

The Panthers went down in order in the top of the 10th before Defiance (7-3; 1-0 HCAC) loaded the bases with an infield error and two walks in the bottom of the 10th and scored the game-winner on a wild pitch.

Chip Hockenbury, a junior right-hander from Elizabeth, was tagged with the loss after allowing two hits and a pair of runs in one and two-third innings of relief.

Mitch Hunnicutt, a junior right-hander from Seymour, started and scattered one run on four hits through the first six innings.